CES 2012: Dell Announces Its First Ultrabook, Starts at $999

Not to be left behind in the latest laptop craze, Dell has announced that its first ultrabook, the XPS 13, will release at the end of February in the US, the cheapest model will coming in just under Intel’s sub-$1000 guideline. For $999, customers will get an Intel Core i5 2467M processor (upgradable to i7 2637M), a 128GB SSD (upgradable to 256GB SSD), 4GB of memory and Intel HD 3000 graphics. The 13” Gorilla Glass screen runs edge-to-edge in an 11” frame, backed by an aluminum lid attached to a carbon fiber base. The whole package is .7” thick at the hinge, tapering to .24” at the front edge, and starts at just under 3 pounds.

Based on early impressions, Dell’s first ultrabook looks to be one of the better designs we’ve seen from the company in a while, though it’s sure to have lots of competition by the time CES is over. Here are the full specs.